Our Story
Donsak is a restaurant that pays homage to the beloved Thai district where co-owner and manager, Boom, was born and raised. When she left for the US, Boom didn't know she wouldn't get to see her home again for many years - and she still hasn’t. Donsak is a way around that. By showcasing the simple and inviting Thai flavors Boom grew up with, Donsak offers a piece of home in Woodley Park, Washington, DC.
Boom
Owner/ Manager
Meet Boom, doer of all things, maker of all people happy. Boom’s restaurant experience began ten years ago when she moved to the US from Donsak, her hometown in Thailand. Starting as a busser, Boom worked her way through the ranks to eventually become manager. During that time, she studied the ins and outs of what makes a dining experience memorable and grew to love the challenge of providing each customer a positive experience. Boom’s exemplary customer service skills made her an unforgettable figure at Beau Thai Mt. Pleasant, the award-winning restaurant where she worked for six years. She is thrilled to greet diners at her own restaurant and demonstrate the hospitality and management skills she has honed over the years.
Wearer of many hats at Donsak, you will find Boom doing everything from running the social media accounts to seating guests when they arrive – but most importantly, taking care of every person who walks through her doors.
Boontom
Owner/Head chef
One might venture to call Boontom the papaya salad expert. She was, after all, the 2018 champion of Wattummaprateip Temple's papaya salad charity competition in Washington, DC. But that’s not her only specialty. Her family and friends will tell you everything she cooks is mouth-watering. A self-taught chef, Boontom always had a natural talent for cooking. She loved to cook for her family and village in Northeast Thailand, and when she moved to the US, she further developed her skills and palate cooking in various Thai restaurants.
As co-owner, Boontom is eager to welcome diners into her family by sharing her food with them. Her recipes are shaped by local technique and family tradition, along with her experiences working as a chef over the past decade. At Donsak, you will find Boontom experimenting with recipes, developing the menu, and taking care of all things food.
Aor
Sous Chef
Fast at everything, Aor has spent the last seven years working in just about every position possible for a Thai restaurant. Starting with chef, he has done it all: packer, runner, delivery, server - you name it. When he met Boom six years ago working at the same restaurant, his array of skills and knowledge were obvious. On top of that, Aor's quick-wit and easygoing nature made him a blast to work with, so it's no surprise that he and Boom developed a positive working relationship so quickly. Over the years that followed, Aor brought food to work from his mom, Boontom, that Boom would come to fall in love with. Eventually, talk of a business began, and, well, the rest is history.
As a chef at Donsak, Aor will get to exemplify the cooking skills he first learned from Boontom. You will find him in the kitchen doing what he loves: making delicious food with his mom.